


A World of Their Own

by chaos_is_a_form_of_art



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Collab, F/M, Other, heheheh, hinted cassaric, my first fic!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:47:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26586853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaos_is_a_form_of_art/pseuds/chaos_is_a_form_of_art
Summary: Keane Lavellan has just saved Thedas from destruction but they can't seem to find their peace. They're exhausted and hopeless; what's more, the love of their life, Solas - also known as the Dread Wolf - has left them with the purpose of tearing down the Veil. Perhaps all Keane needs is a good night's sleep...
Relationships: Dalish (Dragon Age: Inquisition)/Solas, Fen'Harel | Solas/Original Character(s), Inquisitor & Solas (Dragon Age), Lavellan & Solas, Male Inquisitor & Solas, Non-Binary Character/Solas, Solas/Non-Binary Inquisitor
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	A World of Their Own

«We shall not forget to nominate someone to take charge of Skyhold before our departure to Tevinter.»

«Oh, Leliana, there's still so much left to do! I've made a list of—»

«UGH.»

Keane Lavellan covered their face with the only hand they had left and rolled their eyes to the ceiling in desperation. As much as they loved Leliana, Josephine, and Cassandra, there was only so much one could take. And Keane was _beyond exhausted_.

«Inquisitor? What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you have any suggestions, perhaps?» Leliana's steady voice brought them back into the conversation, gently reminding them to focus, an impossible task at the moment. Keane let out a snort.

«I'm sorry. I can't keep up.»

To their relief, the ladies seemed to understand perfectly that it had been enough work for the day. In all honesty, they had come to a point where their efforts to fight sleepiness (and the occasional yawn) had been proven pointless; judging by the number of candles burned throughout the whole reunion, it was already late night.

Josephine escorted Keane to their quarters and smiled heartily, as usual.

«I apologize for the intrusion, Inquisitor. I've noticed you've been a bit absent lately and I can't help but wonder what's making you this tired. Is everything alright?» She placed her hand on their shoulder. «I'm at your service, in case you need a... _friend_ to vent to.»

«I'll be fine, Josephine.» Keane retributed the smile, or tried since all that Josephine could notice was a slight movement of the lips that faded away just as quickly as it appeared. «You already have the weight of Thedas on your shoulders. I appreciate your offer, though.»

«You know where I'll be if you change your mind, eventually.»

Keane faked a smile until Josephine's delicate silhouette was out of sight, lost somewhere in Skyhold's interminable labyrinth of corridors.

Alone in their room, at last, they let their worn-out body fall heavily onto the bed with a tremendous noise. The Inquisitor sighed, turning to their side and kicking a bunch of pillows carelessly spread all over their blanket. The moon was gleaming high in the Frostback Mountains' starry sky, its beam lighting their gentle tan warm complexion. Waning Crescent. Just like in the day _they_ laid eyes on each other for the first time. Keane's fingers glided along the strings of the pendant they were wearing, grasping tightly onto its charm - a wolf's chiseled jawbone that used to belong to _him_.

«Solas.»

Where could he be...?

Tears of both fury and gloom streamed down the elf's face as they revisited the memories of their lost lover's attentive and loving touch, his sad smile, his husky deep voice pouring the most beautiful feelings into words, as well as the most painful. He made them real. He made _everything_ real.

Eventually defeated by fatigue, Keane's muffled sobs began to fade away; their hand let go of its grasp, their drowsy eyes gradually gave in, and so they fell asleep.

★

A gentle fresh breeze harrowed Keane's freckly cheeks, misaligning their bangs. Still a little lightheaded from... _something_ they didn't seem to remember, they sluggishly opened their eyes.

«This... I'm not in Skyhold anymore.»

Everything was pitch black around them at first; afterward, as the breeze quickly turned into wind and soon into a gale, a dim light grew stronger in the elf's direction. As unsettling as the whole situation could seem at first glance, that place seemed bizarrely familiar to Keane, who, surprisingly, felt pretty much indifferent towards it. In fact, this much peace and serenity hadn't been a constant in the Inquisitor's life the last few years. Thus, without even questioning it, they made sure to enjoy every little second of it.

With a satisfied smile on their lips, they held the wolf jaw's necklace, the only belonging that remained from their lover, close to their heart, and let themself be pulled into the impending vortex.

★

There was something particularly cozy about the sound of Keane's own footsteps on the ground, or so they thought. After hopping for a long while, they whirled around to the point of dizziness, rejoicing at the pleasing sensation of freshly wet grass under their bare feet; exhausted, they let themself fall over such a luxurious green blanket. The Inquisitor caressed the blossoming daisies at an arm's length, letting out a sincere laugh when a scared butterfly landed right on the tip of their nose, which made them sneeze.

Although the moon remained high in the firmament, the sun's light began to sheepishly peek through the woods, announcing a new morning by coating everything it touched with a golden glow.

Keane twirled their long, dark strings of hair, well aware of the impossible task of curling it. A mix of enchanting scents (certainly originated from somewhere nearby) then stained the air, adding to the romantic mood. Intrigued, the elf lazily sat down and looked around, searching for clues. Could it be the extensive trails of bluebells? Perhaps, slightly more distant, the forget-me-nots and the morning glories? Or even the wild mint, adventurously growing under the trees. As far as they knew, it could even be _the entire grove_! Realizing all this questioning would get them nowhere, the Inquisitor sighed and dreamily stared into the horizon.

How marvelous the way those endless meadows and hills extended into the infinite until they touched the dawning sky! At a distance, large mountains whose ridges remained veiled by the morning fog rose majestically. Adding to such bucolic setting, mesmerizing rocky platforms floated in the sky as clouds; each bearing countless waterfalls, bridges, and palaces - empires of their own. The Inquisitor caught themself daydreaming about wandering through astonishingly long corridors, in a graceful dance between frilly dresses, fluttering capes, and elegant suits. They grinned, contently. Everything was perfect... except for _one little_ detail.

«Solas.»

Where could he be...?

A gentle rummaging of some intertwined brackens interrupted Keane's fantasies; its nearly inaudible sound, more felt than heard, hissed from among the cedars and maple trees. Certain that it must have been some animal, they curiously tiptoed in its direction, careful not to frighten it away.

First, a dreary ice-blue gaze rose from the shadows, crossing the elf's sight. Following, the stout, corpulent body of a black wolf emerged, giving hesitant steps in their direction. They didn't fear it for a second - they saw him as a lonely, abandoned dog rather than a scavenger beast. How long had it been hiding?

«Aww... Come here, buddy...»

The animal flinched at the touch of their hand, which daringly attempted to reach for his whiskers. Keane then stopped, respecting the distance, and smiled tenderly.

«I won't hurt you. You are safe here, I promise. Take all the time you need.»

Slightly more reassured, the wolf took two gentle steps forward, stretching his neck to sniff the Inquisitor's light, flowing clothes; his curious ears lifted and his tail wagged enthusiastically as he seemed to recognize their natural scent.

«You _really_ do seem to understand Elvish, do you not? Good boy,» they giggled, feeling comfortable enough to sit on the grass without scaring the wolf away. «How impolite of me not to have introduced myself yet, then! My name is Keane, from the Lavellan clan.»

Those words seemed to stir the animal - who immediately threw himself against the elf's torso, eagerly licking their astonished face as if they hadn't seen each other for years. Chuckling loudly, Keane let themself fall back; they wrapped their arms against the wolf's broad, muscular neck and pulled him closer, feeling his coarse fur brushing against their chest. It was a mellow sensation, _so familiar_ to them... why?

«Stop! That tickles you know!»

Almost offended, the wolf let out a soft whine. Then, defeated by Keane's radiant and welcoming smile, he snuggled up to them, lazily laying his head atop a paw and letting himself indulge in a state of utter relaxation. The elf soon joined him, distractedly humming a cheerful song. Their fingers danced through his sleek coat, eventually placing a few wild daisies on the very top of his elegant head - like a frail but mesmerizing crown. Were it a completely different situation, the animal would've proudly sneezed them away, however, he did not wish to disturb the Inquisitor's peace, and so he idly remained quiet for what felt like hours.

«It has just occurred to me that I don't know your name, though...»

The wolf winced at the Inquisitor's observation, lowering his shoulders apprehensively. He backed off, sorrowfully glancing at them one last time before he attempted to leave. The scent. The warmth. The tenderness. The love. It all made sense...

And at that moment, _they knew._

Keane crawled even closer the animal in despair, clenching their fingers and nails into his fur, skin, muscles, anything that would make him stop. He _had_ to stop.

«SOLAS! It is you...! I know now, I know now... It is you. Please don't go. Don't... go...»

The wolf's lustrous coat acquired a blue gleam which enveloped both of them; his lover pulled him against their chest further, relentless tears running down their cheeks, swollen from all the sobbing. Solas's lavender eyes met Keane's honey gaze in a magical moment, right before he slowly, however surely, started fading away.

« _V-Vhenan_...?»

«This isn't real, my love. I wish it was...» He sighed deeply, lowering his head. From a distance, numerous wolf packs could be heard whining and howling at once, mirroring the Dread Wolf's despair and grief. «And once again, we are running out of time.»

«NO! You _have_ to stay! Solas! SOLAS!» The Inquisitor's heartbroken laments could tear skies apart and make entire kingdoms join them in their mourning.

«I want you to know that there is yet to come a day in which I do not think of you.» At this point, his wolf shape had almost completely become transparent, and, defeated, at last, Keane took off their necklace, softly and carefully wrapping it around Solas's neck.

«May this protect you throughout your journeys. I will be waiting for you, _vhenan_. Always.»

« _Ar lath ma, vhenan_. Always.»

The Dread Wolf pressed his nose against his lover's lips, allowing them one last kiss before his departure, and miserably disappeared through the Inquisitor's fingers. Screaming at the top of their lungs, they felt the scenery around them dematerializing and fall apart as well. They shut their eyes one last time, covering their ears with both hands. _Both_ hands...?

★

Keane woke up abruptly, drowning in their own sweat. They pushed their messy fringe away from their eyes and looked outside the window. Birds chirped dulcetly, certainly busy with their errands, flying around bewildered. Far away, the rising sun above the snowy Frostback Mountains seemed to greet everyone with its light. Skyhold. _Home_.

The Inquisitor rubbed their eyes and yawned drowsily, still shaken up from... whatever that visit to the Fade had been. They shook their head, trying to drive those memories away. They didn’t want to remember. Not yet.

«What’s with my hair now, Leliana? Someone explain what’s going on! Immediately!»

«Oh, nothing, nothing! Don’t you worry about it, Cassandra. You look a-do-ra-ble!»

«Maker take me... I should’ve _never_ trusted you both...»

«Speaking of which, have you taken our advice and confessed to _him_ already?»

«JOSEPHINE! I am the Divine!»

«Everyone’s noticed the way you look at each other. Nothing wrong with a little romance in our lives, no? Besides... you’re blushing.»

«I... I certainly am _not_!»

Despite everything, Keane couldn’t help but smile amusedly at their friends’ muffled conversation from the other room. They were eternally grateful for the Inquisition, for bringing such wonderful people into their life.

_Solas._

Had it been just a bad dream? To feel the love of your life temporarily, just to have him ruthlessly ripped away from your exhausted arms...? The elf reached for the Dread Wolf’s necklace - just like they’d always do whenever his distance felt too much to handle - and soon realized it simply wasn’t there anymore. Astounded, Keane groped their blankets and tossed their pillows into the floor, finding wolf fur under them and all over their clothes instead.

L _ustrous black wolf fur._

Melancholic tears rolled down Keane’s face as they came to the conclusion their visit to the Fade had been very much real, and thus, those few lovely hours they’d spent next to Solas one last time.

«If I have saved the world once, I can do it again. This time, _my world_. You.»

And at that moment, they knew there was still hope to change the Dread Wolf’s heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys, this is my very first published fic EVER!!! It's given me a lot of joy to bring everyone a story that can help alleviate our Solavellan feels while we wait for DA4 :'D  
> This work is the first of (hopefully) many collabs with @meluvhenan from twitter. She illustrates, I write <3 follow our work in there! visit me on twitter too, @bichaiconica


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